This invention relates convenience foods, packages therefor, and a method and apparatus for preparing such foods. More particularly, it relates to the "toastable" type of convenience food which is heated in a toaster or toaster-like electrical applicance. The types of convenience foods prepared in this manner have been extremely limited and, for example, have included primarily foods such as waffles, french toast and pastries. This technique of convenience food preparation is limited still further in that the electrical appliances and manner in which the foods are packaged do not enable a number of different types of foods to be heated properly simultaneously. Thus, the toaster-type of convenience food has not been extended to foods such as hamburgers, sandwiches or other foods made from different food components which require different degrees of heating. It is among the primary objects of the invention to provide an electrical appliance and a convenience food package for use therewith which avoids the foregoing difficulties and which expands substantially the types of foods which may be prepared.
The invention permits a variety of precooked and frozen or refrigerated food products to be easily prepared. In this regard, such foods may be slightly undercooked before freezing so that when heated to the proper serving temperature, the added heat may complete the cooking process. Because the step of heating the prefrozen dinner both heats the food to serving temperature and also may partially cook the food, depending on the type of food, the application of the heat to the food will be referred to herein as "heat conditioning."